Umbrella tip



y 7, 1953 R. H. MORTON 2,644,475

UMBRELLA TIP Filed Nov. 22, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5% A i A.

mm W7; 10

7 INVENTOR. RosE H, MORTON B HT TQRNEY R. H. MORTON UMBRELLA TIP July 7, 1953 2 Sheet-Shet 2 Filed NOV. 22, 1949 i INVENTOR." 1 Ross H, MORTON BY W TTORNEY Patented July 7, 1953 UNITE STATE ENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in umbrella tipsand in particular comprises an improvement of the two-part umbrella tip described and claimed in my Patent #2,436,321, dated February 27, 1948.

one of the objects of this invention is to enable" tip-mounting-stud is limited to enable mounting thereon of conventional tips with socketed bodies of limited length, as aforesaid. Upon the folding of the ribsof the umbrella, however, these conventional types frequently fall off the tipmounting studs, thus rendering the .umbrellasubstantially unusable, and it is one of the objects of this invention to apply tips on a tip-mounting stud of the type specified which will be firmly retained in mounted position at all times on said tip-mounting stud of the double-wire rib, irrespective of the stretching of the fabric and irrespective of the loosening of the fabric during the folding operation of the umbrella. 1

Another object of my invention is to provide an elongated two-part tip such as disclosed in my said patent with an extension skirt portion having a socketed portion for engagement with a primary tip member and also an integral socketed portion adapted to fit over both said tip-mountwing studand said wire-housings to enable secure and'arrangement of parts so combined as to 'co-act and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplish- :ment 'of the results herein contemplated, and

wcomprises in one of its adaptations the species 2' Claims. (Cl. 13536) or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of a tip embodying my invention mountedon a' tip-mbunting stud and its integral wire housings used in a folding umbrella, the fabric being removed;

Fig.'2 is a view in side elevation of the tip shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of my improved extension skirt member about to be mounted on a tip-mounting stud and wire housings of the rib-folding umbrella;

Fig. 6 isa similar section showing the extension skirt member mounted on said tip-mounting stud and housings and having the primary tip member positioned above and about to be connected thereto;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 'l'| of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. .6,

looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view in perspective showing a primary tip member of my improved tip construction and embodying a modification;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the extension skirt member of my improved tip showing the engaging means adapted to provide an interlocking engagement thereof with the stud and its wire-housings;

Fig. 11 is a still further enlarged view in side elevation of a modified form of primary tip member;

Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of the tip member shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged section showing the modified form of primary tip member about to be connected to a modified form of skirt member;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 13 showing the primary tip member fully connected with the skirt member; and

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary greatly enlarged sectional View on the line I5-!5 of Fig. 14, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to these drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1

indicates the end portions of a pair of connected cylindrical wire-rib elements embodied in a, wire rib of a foldable-rib umbrella to which my presently-improved umbrella tip is applied (though mounting end-member fastened to the ends of both elements of the wire rib and composed of metallic end-connecting wire-housings 3 of cylindrical conformation and a single integral cylindrical tip-mounting stud 4 projecting outwardly therefrom and forming the terminal end of a rib.

Certain types of umbrellas, and particularly certain types of foldable-rib umbrellas, have ribs each of which is provided with an individual separable tip initially connected with the fabric and usually composed of different material than the material of the rib structure, as for example, a plastic, and this invention relates to foldable-rib umbrellas having tips of this independentlyformed and mounted type, as distinguished from integral tips.

In accordance with my invention, each of the tips of my present invention is of two-part construction and comprises a primary tip member preferably composed of an ornamental tip portion 5 a stud-engaging skirt portion 5 provided with an axial socket 5 having a conformation similar to the mounting stud and an intermediate portion 5 having a transverse thread-receiving opening 5 adapted to permit connection of the tip to an umbrella fabric. The axial socket 5 of my said primary tip member is adapted to receive and fit over the tip-mounting stud. 4 of the tip-mounting end member 2.

In conventional prior art practice, the conventional tip is sewn to a wing section of the fabric of an umbrella and the fabric is stretched at least the length of the rib-engaging skirt-portion to permit insertion of an end of a rib in the socket of a skirt portion.

In accordance with my present invention, an extension skirt member 6 is initially (and before the application of the primary member to the stud '3 or insertion of the stud 4 into the socket 5) mounted on and preferably connected to the tipmounting end-member 2 of the rib I. Said extension skirt member is preferably loosely mounted on the end of the rib or its tip-mounting endmember 2. The primary tipis applied to cause insertion of the stud 4 into the socket 5 of said primary member 5 and immediately after or simultaneously with such insertion, the extension socket member 6 is moved upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the skirt portion 5* of the tip member 5 being in such movement inserted into the socket 6 of the extension skirt member 6 and securely fastened thereto or interlocked therewith.

In accordance with my invention, the upper portion of the primary tip member 5 may be substantially of conventional conformation and the conventional procedure of sewing the said primary tip member to the fabric may be followed, and if desired the skirt portion of the primary tip member may be reduced in length below that shown in Figs. 1 to 6 or may be substantially eliminated, though it is desirable to provide on said primary tip member a skirt portion of suitable length to enable initial mounting thereof on the stud t at the end of the rib.

Many types of connection may be employed for fastening the extension skirt member 6 to the primary tip member 5, and in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive I have shown the extension skirtmember 6 provided with an inwardly-extending groove 6 and the skirt portion 5 provided with an external rib 5 and when the socket 6 of this extension skirt member 6 is forced over the surface of the skirt portion 5 (which, as aforesaid, is provided with said external rib 5 said rib 5 is adapted to snap into said groove 6* and produce an interlocking engagement between the primary member 5 and said extension skirt member 6.

In the construction shown, the end of said skirt portion 5 is bevelled at ii to permit facile insertion into the socket 6 In said preferred form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, the extension skirt member is preferably formed in two socketed portions or sections preferably of varying external dimensions, formed integrally and comprising an upper connection portion 6 with a socket 6 of relatively large dimension for reception and initial central mounting of the stud l and the final reception of the skirt portion 5 of the primar member when fitted over said stud iand positioned within the bore 5 of said skirt portion 5 and a lower mounting portion 6 contracted as shown in Figs. 1 to 8 and having a socket of reduced dimension and of different shape which communicates with the socket 5 Said lower mounting portion 5, as shown, is provided with an internal elliptical bore 7 adapted to snugly fit over the two connected wire-housing members 3 of the end mem= ber 2. I preferably provid an interlocking connection between said extension skirt member 6 and the said wire-housings 3 and for this purpose the skirt portion 8* is at the end of its bore opening i provided with an inwardly-projecting integral hook portion 8 which, in the mounting movement of this extension skirt member 6, extends into contact with the outer side or edge of one of the two wire-housing members 3. Such a projection or hook 8 is provided with an inclined or wedge surface 8 adapted during the downward mounting movement to cause a slight spreadin of the elliptical bore 1 but to permit the movement downwardly over said wire housings 3 and to produce a snap engagement with th bottom edge 3 of such housings. Such a snap engagement will cause a definite interlocking of the skirt member 6 with the umbrella rib l and when the locking rib 5 of the primary member is engaged with the groove 6 in the extension skirt member s, a complete interlocking connection between the tip 5 and the rib is produced.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I have shown in perspective my preferred forms of primary tip member 5 and skirt extension member 6 and also have embodied in Fig. 9 of these figures a modification of the primary member in which the slirt portion 5 thereof is provided with a series of kerfs 9 for the purpose of causing th wall of said skirt portion to have slight additional resilience or contraction so as to enable a more facile movement of the same into the axial socket fi of the skirt member to produce an interlocking engagement therewith.

In Figs. 11 to 15 I have shown a modified form of interengaging rib on the primary member 5 which enables a driving-fit connection between said skirt portion 5* of the primary tip member 5 and a smooth-walled socket ii of the extension skirt member 6. In this construction, an external projection or rib H3 isinterrupted or composed of a series of projections H3 spaced from each other by spaces It and, in accordance with this construction, the internal surface of the bore ii of said extension skirt member 6 will be slightly conical in conformation, and upon a forcing t.,- gether of the skirt of the primary member and the skirt of the extension skirt member, the projections w will, as shown in Fig. 15, be slightly flattened and will provide a tight frictional engagement or driving fit between said primary tip and extension skirt members, thus producing a 5 firm interlocking connection between such members. vided with the interlocking hook 8 for connection with the metallic wire housings. I

Operation of the construction as hereinabove illustrated will be clear from the above description.

I Having describedmy invention, I claim:

1. A tip for umbrellas comprising, in combination, a primary tip member composed of an upper portion having a head, a lower skirt portion hav-- ing a socket and an intermediate portion having a transverse thread-receiving opening, and an extension skirt member embodying two integrallyformed portions comprising an upper connection portion having a socket of relatively large dimen- The member 6 will also preferably be proconnecting member to said contracted portion,

and said primary tip and extension skirt members also having interengaging connection means for fastening said primary tip and extension'skirt members together.

' 2. A tip for umbrellas as claimed in claim 1 in which the means on said contracted socket por-' tion for engaging and fastening such connecting member to said contracted socket portion comprises aprojecting hook having an inclined Wedging surface adapted during its movement over said connecting member to cause a slight spreading of the elliptical socket and'to produce an automatic snap engagement with such connecting member.

sion and circular configuration adapted to receive the lower skirt portion of the primary tip member, and a lower mounting portion having a con- ROSE H; MORTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,436,321 Morton Feb, 1'7, 1948 

